The problem of how to define psychological phenomena
The problem of how to define experiential qualities is a major problem in empirical psychology. Empirical researchers struggle over what definitions to adopt, what theoretical terms to adopt, what ‘constructs’ can be legitimately ‘applied’ to make sense of, interpret, and study empirical data. Phenomenology shows that empiricism here undermines the legitimacy of psychological experiences by supposing that science must impose arbitrary, nominal definitions upon empirical material, which, by itself, supposedly cannot supply its meaning to us. […]